Billfold safety guard



Jan. 21, 1969 R. G. CARLSON 3,422,498

BILLFOLD SAFETY GUARD Filed July 27, 1967 INVENTOR. Eon/Aw 6 674/24 so/v United States Patent O 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Lightweight inconspicuous device that may be used to secure a billfold within predetermined limits of movement relative to a pocket of a mans garment, or to secure a billfold within like limits to a womans handbag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention A safety guard for maintaining a billfold within predetermined limits of movement relative to a pocket in a mans garment in which the billfold is normally carried, or in like relationship to a womans handbag.

Description of the prior art Billfolds, as is well known, are frequently lost from a pocket or handbag in which they are normally carried, whether they slip therefrom, or are inadvertently left on a counter or the like when the owner thereof is shopping. A not uncommon occurrence is to have a billfold surreptitiously removed from ones pocket by a pickpocket, particularly in crowded areas.

The present invention precludes occurrence of the above-mentioned contingencies by securing a billfold either to a garment or womans handbag in such a manner that it may be moved freely within a limited range relative thereto, but cannot be separated from the garment or handbag beyond this range, either inadvertently or intentionally such as by a pickpocket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The safety guard includes a length of lightweight but strong chain, on one end of which first means is affixed that can be removably secured to a billfold, and on the other end of said chain second means is provided which is removably attachable to either an eye in a selected portion of a masculine garment, or a part of a feminine handbag.

A major object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight safety guard that is compact and easy to use in securing a billfold or other object formed of a pliable sheet material to a mans garment or womans handbag yet with the billfold or object when so secured being freely movable within a predetermined range relative thereto.

Another object of the invention is to supply a safety guard that can be fabricated from standard, commercially available materials that are relatively inexpensive, whereby it can be retailed at a sufficiently low price as to encourage the widespread use thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the guard being used to secure a billfold to a pocket of a mans garment in which an eye is formed;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the guard showing one end thereof secured to a billfold;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the guard taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the guard taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

3,422,498 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of guard taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4', and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of a modified portion of the guard that is used in securing the guard chain to a portion of a mans garment in which an eye is formed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, it will be seen that the present invention includes a strong, lightweight chain A, one end of which is provided with a first means B that may be secured to a billfold C, or other desired object formed from a pliable material such as leather or the like. The opposite end of chain A is secured to second means D that can be affixed to a portion E of a mans garment in which an eye F is formed, or alternatively, to a womans hand-bag (not shown).

The first means B, as may best be seen in FIGURE 4, includes a U-shaped member 10 forward from a rigid metal such as steel, or the like. Member 10 includes two parallel legs 12 and 14 that are separated by a space 16 of sufiicient width as to permit a portion 18 of billfold C inserted therein. The legs 12 and 14 are connected on first ends thereof by a curved web 20' in which a bore 22 is formed. A shank 24 is pivotally supported in bore 22, and an eye 26 is provided on the outer end of the shank. The inner end of shank 24 is deformed to provide a head 28 of larger transverse cross section than that of bore 22 to prevent displacement of the shank from the eye.

Leg 14 (FIGURE 4) has a transverse, tapped bore 30 formed therein that is threadedly engaged by a screw 32. A fiat circular head 34 is provided on the outer end of screw 32. A small, transverse, tapped bore 36 is formed in screw 32 that is engaged by a second set screw 38.

A cavity 40 is formed on the exterior surface of leg 14 with which the second screw 38 maybe axially aligned. Screw 32 is rotated :by head 34 until the' inner end of the screw and first leg 12 cooperate to pressure grip a part of the billfold portion 18 therebetween as shown in FIG- URE 4. The head 34 is then rotated further to axially align second screw 38 and cavity 40. Second screw 38 is rotated to dispose the inner portion thereof in cavity 40, whereby the first screw 32 is prevented from rotating, and billfold portion 18 is firmly Second means D, as may best be seen in FIGURE 3, includes first and second plates 42 and 44. A lug 46 projects from a center of that side of plate 42 facing second plate 44. A transverse bore 48 extends through lug 46. A bore 50 extends through the center of plate 44, and bore 50 slidably supports a pin 52, in the ends of which first and second eyes 54 and 56 are formed. First eye 54 pivotally engages bore 48. Second eye 56 is connected to an end link 58 of chain A as shown in FIGURE 3.

A compressed helical spring 60 encircles pin 52, with one end. of the spring bearing against second plate 44 and the other end of the spring against second eye 56. First plate 42 may be slipped through the eye F in the manner shown in FIGURE 1, with the spring then forcing the first and second plates 42 and 44 to grip a pocket-defining portion 62 of the garment E therebetween.

When first and second means B and D are connected to the billfold C and garment E as above described and as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the billfold may be moved freely within predetermined limits relative to the garment but not completely separated therefrom. The length of the pin 52 as shown in FIGURE 3 is exaggerated in the drawing for the purpose of illustrating the structure thereof. When it is desired to use the above-described guard with a womans handbag (not shown), an eye is formed in the gripped by the first means B. Y

3 interior thereof that may be removably engaged by the second means D.

A modified form of second means D is shown in FIGURE 6 that includes a first plate 42 and second plate 44. Second plate 44' has a centrally-disposed, tapped bore 50 formed therein that is engaged by a stud bolt 52 which projects outwardly from first plate 42'. A ring 56' is pivotally supported in the outer end of bolt 52, and this ring engages an end link 58 of a chain A. By inserting the first plate 42' through the eye F, and tightening the second plate 44' into pressure contact with a garment E, the billfold C is secured to the garment in the same manner as when the initially-described second means D is used.

It will of course be apparent that numerous structural modifications may be made in the structure of the second means D in holding the first and second plates 42 and 44 in a position where they engage the eye F. For instance, should it be desired, a slot (not shown) may be formed in the second plate 44 of such size as to accommodate the lug 48 when the two plates 42 and 44 are in close proximity to one another. However, such modifications will not influence the manner in which the safety guard operates as described. The plates D and D must be of such shape and size as to permit them to he slipped through the eye F, but when in abutting contact with the garment E will not be pulled through the eye.

I claim:

1. A safety guard for selectively maintaining a billfold within a predetermined limit of movement relative to a garment or womans handbag in which an eye is formed, but which guard prevents inadvertent separation of said billfold from said garment or handbag, which safety guard comprises:

(a) an elongate flexible member;

(b) a rigid U-shaped member that includes first and second parallel legs which are laterally spaced a sufiicient distance as to permit a portion of said billfold to be inserted therebetween, a web connecting said legs on first ends thereof, with said second leg having a transverse first tapped bore formed therein;

() first means for connecting a first end of said flexible member to said U-shaped member;

(d) a first screw threadedly supported in said tapped bore;

(e) a head of substantially greater cross-sectional area than the cross section of said screw mounted on the outer end of said screw, which head has an otfcentered, tapped, second bore formed therein;

(f) a second screw mounted in said second bore, and being axially alignable with a cavity formed on the exterior surface of said second leg; and

(g) second means for removably connecting a second end of said elongate member to a garment or handbag in which an eye is formed, which elongate member maintains said billfold within predetermined limits of movement of said garment or handbag after a portion of said billfold is disposed between said first and second legs and. said head is rotated to place said first screw in gripping contact with said portion and said second screw in axial alignment with said cavity, and when said second screw is rotated to engage said cavity to prevent inadvertent rotation of said first screw.

2. A safety guard as defined in claim 1 wherein said first means includes:

(h) a shank pivotally supported in a bore formed in said web;

(i) an eye on the outer end of said shank that is connected to said first end of said elongate member; and

(j) a bead formed on an inner end of said shank, which bead is of greater transverse cross section than that of said bore to prevent said shank from being pulled therefrom.

3. A safety guard as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongate member is a chain and said second screw is a set screw.

4. A safety guard as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes a first plate that can be slipped through said eye and then moved to a position in which it lies in abutting contact with that portion of said garment or handbag in which said eye is formed to prevent inadvertent separation of said elongate member therefrom.

5. A safety device as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes:

(h) first and second plates;

(i) third means for movably connecting said plates;

and

(j) fourth means for connecting one of said plates to said second end of said member.

6. A safety device as defined in claim 5 wherein said elongate member is a chain and said third means includes:

(k) a lug projecting from said first plate towards said second plate, which lug has a transverse bore formed therein;

(1) a pin slidably and movably positioned in a bore formed in said second plate, which pin is provided with first and second eyes formed on the ends thereof, with said first eye pivotally engaging said bore in said lug and said second eye engaging an end of said chain, which eye serves as said fourth means.

7. A safety device as defined in claim 6 which further includes:

(m) a compressed helical spring that encircles said pin and is disposed between said second plate and said second eye to urge said second plate towards said first plate.

8. A safety device as defined in claim 1 in which said second means includes:

(h) a first plate;

(i) a stud bolt projecting outwardly from the center of said first plate;

(j) a second plate having a tapped bore formed therein, with said bore threadedly engaging said bolt; and

(k) a ring pivotally supported on the outer end of said bolt, which ring is connected to said elongate member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 475,503 5/1892 Hock -47 966,243 3/1910 Ritter. 1,513,383 10/1924 Fleischer 150-47 FOREIGN PATENTS 379,539 8/1923 Germany. 274,526 5/1930 Italy.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 24-243; 150-47 

